Introduction and Initial Impressions Davidoff Nicaragua cigars are the first all-Nicaraguan leaf blend from the world's most distinguished luxury-class cigar manufacturer. 10 years in the making, Davidoff's blending sensei, Hendrik…

Cigar industry pioneer, José Blanco, talks with Cigar Advisor Executive Editor, Gary Korb, about his recent trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai. The reason for his visit was two-fold: Part vacation, and part serving as a consultant to some businessmen who sought his counsel on the viability of building a premium cigar business in these two major international cities. Blanco is one of many Central American cigar executives who have been trying to open new markets for their premium handmade cigars in Europe and Asia.

This month Nick Perdomo takes us a few steps closer to making consistently flavorful cigars as he describes how the tobacco is graded, classified, selected, and stripped before baling. The leaf classification process is among the most important stages, because it's the only way to ensure that every Perdomo blend is made with the exact same tobaccos every time. Classification includes the leaf size, type, and quality. The leaves are then ready for the stripping process (removal of the central vein), followed by drying, then placed into bales under pressure where they will continue to age.

Back in the 1970s and 80s, cigar smoking was something your grandfather did. But then seemingly overnight, the "face of the industry" literally changed. And yet while the image of cigar smokers was changing drastically, the sheer number of cigars being imported and sold was even more mind-boggling.
And then, almost overnight, the boom was over.
The fascinating thing about operating in a business boom cycle is that you are constantly kidding yourself about how long it will last. But in this cycle lay the seeds for a real cigar market that would take us into the 21st century.